Beyond the Nightmare of Life
by Kok0roxGuardian
Summary: "H-how could this happen! Why di-did this happen!" Edward fell to his knees with tears falling with him. It was them. In front of him. Alphonse's crushed armor and blood seal beside Mustang's unrecognizable and slaughtered body. This all had to be a dream, just like all the other times...right?
1. Unremembered but Unforgettable Murder

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**(A/N: Before reading please note that this is like a teaser for the story and the releasing of chapters probably won't be until another one of my stories is complete! Thanks and enjoy~!)**

**Chapter One – Unremembered but Unforgettable Murder**

Edward slowly lifted himself off the floor.

His vision extremely blurry and his mind unfocused. He had no idea where he was and barely remembered himself. All he knew was that he was supposed to be with Alphonse and Colonel Mustang on some mysterious mission ordered by the Furher himself. But strangely he had completely forgotten what the mission was about.

Once he was half awake and sitting instead of lying on the floor he took in his surroundings and check his body. Yep, he could feel it. A large bump was on his head and scratches were covering his body head to toe. He even had a bleeding cut on his right shoulder but it wasn't generating pain like the lump on his head was. His hands were also covered in blood however it didn't both him much because he knew it was his and for some reason his skin felt raw in some places, like he had been burned. Anyway, he defiantly had a concussion and he was lucky he hadn't fallen into some type of coma because of passing out.

"Alphonse...Mustang?" his raspy voice called out. There was no answer, so that meant that they weren't close by. He had to stop because with every word he spoke his head pounded and shook his body with pain.

After waiting for the dizziness to go away hestood on his shaking and sore feet. The room around him was dark and there was the smell of something fowl in the air around him. Like blood and burning flesh. "(Maybe Mustang had to burn someone alive.)" Still, why would they both leave him unconscious and injured on the floor?

This was an old place. Ed was continuously running into spider webs and he could also hear the wooden floor creaking under him. If he wasn't so out of it he would be more scared than what he was. Once leaving the room that he had woken up in, he arrived in another room. But it was misty and had a little more light.

"C-Colonel? Al? Come on guys this isn't funny anymore." Taking one step as he nervously spoke he felt sometime seep into his pants leg. His eyes shot down, the smell the color...it was blood.

"B-blood?" he chocked.

That wasn't all. As his eyes wandered around the room more he caught glance of something. And that was the beginning of the nightmare of his life.

"H-how could this happen?! Why di-did this happen?!" he fell to his knees with tears falling with him. _It was them. In front of him_. Alphonse's crushed armor and blood seal beside Mustang's unrecognizable and slaughtered body. He pinched himself, quickly slamming shut his eye. This was all one big dream just like all the other times. He would wake up soon! Right?

"N-no...no!" he panicked. He hadn't noticed until then. But the scratches looked like they had come from a spear. And in Alphonse's crushed hands was a broken spear. His Auto-mail...it even looked like it had been burned along with his flesh on his other arm. The gloves were also beside Mustang's head.

"Did...did I do this? Did I..._kill _them?"

When his eyes opened, there in his pocket was a blood stained knife. Mustang's blood was on it. He stood walking over close to Alphonse. There was a hole in his blood seal.

With his head down and his eyes slowly opening he noticed an edge of a blood stained knife sticking out of his pocket. It shocked him.

Edward took the knife out of his pocket and matched the edge of the knife with the small hole. It was a perfect fit. He dropped it instantly, his thoughts were screaming at him. Sweat and tears was rolling down his skin like rain. But his heart, it wasn't even beating. It was like he was dead.

The blood on his hands was not his. It was Mustang's blood. And those scratches, they hadn't come from enemy attacks. It was from Alphonse's spear trying to defend himself.

"Amestris Military! Is anyone in here?!" there was a loud slam in the other room, it was male but there were multiple steps that followed the voice. Edward's head quickly turned around, dropping the knife and climbing to his feet in the process.

As wrong and cowardly as it was, he had to escape. That was the only thing on his mind. He clapped his bloody hands and staggered to a nearby wall. Slamming them against it, he created a small hole that led to the outside and escaped into the woods covered by the setting sun.

Back in the unknown place, Riza and a group of soldiers dashed into the room. She almost dropped her guns at what she saw as she had immediately recognized the body and the armor.

"Roy! Alphonse!" her shrill voice had somehow reached Edward.

It only made him run faster and his heartbreak even more, "I'm...I'm sorry!"

Edward Elric never looked back. He now knew that he was the only Elric left on this planet, he was forever alone, and the nightmares of his dreams had become reality. He had broken his promise, he had broken lives, but really he had broken himself. He was a cold blooded murder and he deserved to die. The state would find him any day now and try to kill him, but why was he running. He was so confused. Not knowing where he was and how all this happened without him remembering and realizing what he did.

His weak body suddenly dropped and his face smacked into a pile of leafs. It was no used. He couldn't move. Only his eyes could produce tears.

"I'm a murder...I _killed _them...I..._killed_...them."

As the sunset, Edward laid in the forest. Alone and crying until he lost consciousness due to his injuries and fragile body.

* * *

**Hello amazing readers~! I'm back with yet another angst fanfiction. Gosh I really need to stop writing these...it makes me look like a crazy and bad person. XD This story is going to contain many surprises, minor anime language, blood (tiny bit...ok a lot more than a tiny bit but not too gory), and will probably be my darkest angst story yet. Yes, probably sadder and worse and more twisty than Who Needs a Brother Like You and Invisibility. This idea just popped into my mind I guess while I was working on Personality Siblings. I was so excited to start working on this I typed it on my I-Phone and re-did it on my broken computer. I've already typed up eight chapters!**

**If you like this story then you might have to wait until Invisibility II is half way done and Personality Siblings is completely finished. However, if I get a lot of Follows, Favorites, and especially reviews I'll put them on hold (still working on them of course) and work on this. So really I'm leaving it up to you, the readers, on what you want to read. I'm working on a lot...I like to multi task and write a lot if you can't tell. XD**

**More Warnings: Definatly RizaxRoy and a hint of EdwardxWinry. Oh and for the people that like the father-son type relationship there is also EdwardxRoy. No Yaoi, Yuri, or Hentai! Don't even ask! Also, sorry this might be an OC story but only friendship and they won't be a **_**marysue**_**. So also EdwardxOC~! Depending on what you guys think there might not be an OC. Depends on how well you guys convince me of you don't want one.**

***Don't forget to share your thoughts on the piece! What do you think will happen next? How good is it? What can I improve on? I like critique and guessing reviews~! :3***

_**This Story Will Not Have A Sequel!**_

**Thanks guys see you all soon!**

**Kok0roxGuardian**

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Alone

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**Chapter Two – Alone**

This was the second time he had caught himself waking up in an unknown place. But it felt different somehow. The smell of blood and rotten flesh was replaced with the smell of flowers, and the musty air was breezy and gentle. It was the perfect temperature. Light was around him instead of darkness and all of his injured were wrapped. His bloody hands...clean...but mentally still there.

He was still in the forest, but no one was around. He wondered how he had been treated and who had tended to him in the first place. Tears were still in his eyes, and the only thing on his mind was the sight of Mustang and Alphonse's body at his feet. He was disgusted. Not at the bodies but at himself. Still, in the back of his mind he couldn't believe that he had murdered his own brother and a man that was like a father to him.

"What am I going to do now?" he thought aloud. He stared into the sky and staggered to his feet once more. Then walked deeper into the forest.

_**~ Central Headquarters ~**_

Riza hung her head down low, standing in front of Furher Bradley himself. "We have no other choice. I know that you are dealing with losing Major General Mustang and Alphonse Elric, but with the Fullmetal Alchemist missing we have no other choice but to assume that he committed those murders."

Riza lowered her head even more, her chin almost completely touching her chest and trying not to cry and imagine the Colonel's face looking at her with eyes of determination. It was just like Hughes. They both wanted to climb to the top together but both died trying. For dying he was promoted two ranks and she also was moved up in the rankings as well. But once again irony struck...she was now Colonel Hawkeye. The Fuhrer wanted to put her in charge of this case. He knew that she was very strong and dependable and that she could solve it quicker than anyone else could. But in truth she knew that it truly wasn't just solving a case. It was about killing Edward Elric on the spot.

"Your dismissed Colonel Hawkeye. I want you to start searching tomorrow. I hope to see you at their funerals. And, I'm deeply a sorry for your loss."

She bowed slightly and walked out of the room, greeted by Second Lieutenants Ross, Breda, and Havoc. Sergeant Brosh, Major Armstrong, Master Sergeant Fuery, and Warrant Officer Falman were also there.

She raised her head, seeing all of them standing there.

"H-how did it go, Sir?" Fuery asked.

She just looked at him with her sad eyes, but suddenly she stood up straight and positioned herself in a tall position...like a leader...or really how Mustang would have done.

"You all are assigned to aid me in..." she paused, losing her strong feeling. "In the arresting Edward Elric. If he shows any sign of fleeing or preparing for attack he is to be shot on spot."

They were all in deep shock, especially Havoc and Ross. Havoc secretly broke down when hearing about Mustang's death, and Ross was hurt to hear that Alphonse had died and that Edward was missing. When Major Armstrong was told the news he excused himself and grieved alone. No Armstrong should act weak around others, that motto had been passed down from generation upon generartion.

"But, Colonel Hawkeye! You can't surely mean-." Armstrong paused, he couldn't speak he was so shocked.

"You're kidding m-me..." Falman choked.

"No, I'm not. We all leave first thing in the morning to Kalahari. This place is just a little north from Youswell and that was also where the Furher assigned Edward and M-Major General Mustang."

The others saluted her, even though every single one of them was against hunting and killing Edward it had to be done. But for Riza, this was something much more than finding him. She didn't know what to believe. But based on what she saw, he did murder them. And for that, he had to pay. She would shoot him where he stood the moment she found him. But still deep in her mind, she wanted to believe that he didn't do it.

"_ROY!" she screamed, dropping everything she was carrying and ran over to his slashed body. She couldn't even make out his face and was stunned that he hands just hovered over him. Her tears fell onto him, hoping that they would work their magic like some fairytale and bring him back to life. But it didn't work, it couldn't work. It wouldn't work. She also saw Alphonse's crushed armor beside Mustang and his Blood seal punctured with hole._

_After seeing him only one thing appeared in her mind: Where was Edward?_

_His body wasn't there so he had to be alive! That was when she saw the small hole. She shot up and looked through it. At that moment she could have sworn that she saw a red jacket flapping in the wind and a figure running away from the building._

"_E-Edward?!"_

Riza opened her eyes, sitting at her desk with her head resting on it. Tons of papers were beside her, so this is what it was like being a Colonel. She could see why he dreaded the awful paper work. She turned around and looked outside at the rest of Central.

Tomorrow she would go back to Kalahari, and begin her hunt for Edward Elric. Right after Alphonse and Roy's funeral.

* * *

**Well, I have to say that I was really shocked to see that many reviews and stuff! I guess that I'll start posting these then! XD Thanks so much for the support guys! Before continuing to the next chapter I have to address a few things. Bradley doesn't have bad intentions on the group yet. Secondly this isn't going to be a tragedy fan fic. Hint…hint! Dealing with OC matters, sorry to say that it has to be done. I was writing the story without one and it just sounds really bad. They won't be a very big character in the story and a Mary sue. And defiantly no EdxOC**_** love**_** wise. I really don't prefer them either but I'll make this character as if they were a part of the actual show!**

**bougainvillea blossom and meladi1: Thanks for the review! I promise they won't be too much over the top! And don't worry I won't do EdxOC! XD**

**mr. unknown:** I can see where you would think that. Most of them turn out bad but I have read a few fan fictions where an OC was a wonderful thing! XD Hope this can be one of the stories where an OC is good. 

**Bluefire21: Glad you're enjoying it! :) I hope you realize that Ed was the one that killed them right? I don't want you to be confused! XD But this chapter defiantly proves that Riza will get revenge for Al and Roy.**

**HowsBoutNo: Thanks! I hope I came close to how Riza would react in the situation. I know that she never really uses the Colonel's real name but in this case it just didn't matter to her!**

**I usually tend to update really fast and the chapters will be longer in the near future! The speed that I update will start to increase around February but will slow down again in the summer time. **

**Thank you , meladi1, skystormstar, for the favorites and Follows and Firefly264, HowsBoutNo, and Rex the wolf for the follows! **

**See you guys soon!**

**To Be Continued…**

**Kok0roxGuardian**


	3. A Rainy Day without Clouds

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**(A/N: To please most of you, the OC has been changed from being the main character in the story to only being in few chapters...you may thank me later! Anyways, enjoy this chapter~!)**

**Chapter Three – A Rainy Day without Clouds**

Tomorrow came all too soon for Hawkeye and the others, cruelty had shined down on everyone's lives yet again. It was only a half a year ago that they were all gathered for the death of Maes Hughes. But this time it was for two people. One had yet to begin his life, and the other was rising to the top only to be shot down by the person that supported him.

Riza held her head down as the two caskets passed by her. Even though Alphonse did not have a human body, they all thought that it would be respectful to at least put his broken blood seal and photos of him with his family. Including Edward.

To the left of her, was a silent Winry Rockbell and her grandmother. They were both the last to be told the news due to them living so far from Central. Riza remembered trembling before she picked up the phone to call her. Winry went into denial, saying that it was all a hoax and Edward would never do such a thing. That Alphonse would never allow himself to be killed so easily. But in her eyes she knew that it was the truth. She broke down, refusing to talk to anyone and look at anything but the ground. It had been four days; she had yet to speak to anyone.

And to the right of her were Gracia and her young daughter Elicia.

"Mommy," the young girl whispered "Is the little Brother and daddy's friend going to the happy place now?" she asked. Gracia cradled her tightly against her. It reminded her of him...he died a cruel death...just like Roy and Alphonse had.

"Elicia..." she sobbed under her breath. It was exactly like when her husband had passed on.

It was after the caskets were placed that the Furher, walked in front of the crowd of people. He hung his head low to the ground, and then lifted his sword into the air. It signaled the canons to be shot in the air. After the funeral for both of them had ended, Riza turned taking one last look at Winry, then heading towards the car. But as she walked, away from his body, tears fell down her face.

"Looks like...it's going to rain today..."

The others were also behind her, ready to head to Kalahari, and possibly end Edward Elric's life.

**~ Kalahari Woods: Place of Mysterious Events ~**

Edward Elric stumbled into a tree, flopping down onto his back. This had happened twice now all because he had been too lost in thoughts. He didn't remember killing them. But yet in his pocket was a bloody knife. And even if he had tried to kill them, wouldn't have Mustang torched him before he could even reach them? Or...did he stab him in the back and kill them off one by—WAM!

He slammed into another tree rubbing his red face. "Damn it..." he cursed. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands. They still contained that repulsing and _invisible_ blood. But they were wet and the more he thought about it, he realized that his whole face was drenched.

He turned his head and let his had fall to the ground, "Is that all I can do? Cry? Even so, what else is there to do besides run away from the military and cry?"

"Why did I kill them? That was my only brother damn it! I...I had already taken his life once. I pushed him into bringing back mom and now there's no way to pull his soul back to the gate." Then he stopped thinking again. After he realized that he had taken Mustang's life as well "And him...he was the only guy that was kind of like my father."

That was when more tears streamed down his face. He was shocked. Crying for Mustang? He thought that he would never see the day. "Even though he was a stuck up bastard with a god complex...he didn't deserve to...to..."

Edward covered his face and began sobbing. The tears were moving faster down his face. "W-why?! Why did this happen! Why can't I remember?! It should've been me that died back there!" he sobbed into his hands.

His tears came to a sudden halt when a nearby bush shook. Edward jerked up, quickly preparing his Auto-mail into a blade. That was when a girl...appeared from the bush.

Her night and innocent eyes were fixed on him, she was wearing a coat similar to Edward's but it was black. Her light brown skin was glowing along with her rosy cheeks. It was hard to tell, but she had black and long hair pulled back into a ponytail. In her arms she had a basket of bandages and medicine. So this was the person who treated his wounds while he was unconscious. But she looked like she was his age.

"Who are you?" they both said in unison, startling one another.

The girl cleared her throat, "We'll I saw you passed out earlier and I was coming to help you...but it seems like you're doing ok now. Anyway, my name is Sieza. Who might you be?"

"It's...Edward Elric." He said dryly. "Thank you for tending my wounds."

"Well you look like you could still use some rest. I snuck out of school to come back and help you. We can go to my mother's house."

"No!" Ed chocked "I'm fine."

The girl took off her hood and grinned devilishly "Well considering that you face is all over town you might not want to stay here in the woods."

"What do you mean?!"

"You're wanted by the Central Military and you seem to have a heavy price over your head. My family could really go for the extra sens right now. Now either you come with me or I'll call the police."

Edward put away his blade, "Honestly I deserved to be turned in. But I want to know more about my situation before...I'm put to death. Fine. I'll go with you."

Sieza gave him a confused look, but then nodded. She seemed very interested in his past. Why was a young boy that was close to her age ready to die? "Alright, Kalahari is just a little more ways from here. Let's get going."

Edward took one last look at the dark forest, before following the girl out of the woods and into the small place, known as Kalahari. Not yet knowing that everything he knew was a lie and something much larger was hiding behind the bloody knife and his temporary memory loss.

* * *

**So as I said before I have worked out something to where the OC is only going to be in a few chapters. However, this does come with a cost. Remember when I said I had written a lot of chapters? Well all those chapters contained the OC... XD So that means I have to retype this without her. Plus now that I think about it, the story's new plot is a lot better. So it will take a little more time to post.**

**Also it's very important that you remember that there will be _major_ twists~! ;) That's all I'll be saying for now.**

**Thank you Otaku4eva99, kitkat101, meladi1, and BlueFire21 for the reviews. Also shotouts and many thanks to , and HowsBoutNo for the follows! And lets not forget the marvel tiger, and Ciels'sxBlackxDiamond for the favorites.**

**The next chapter will be up really soon~!**

**To Be Continued...**

**Kok0roxGuardian**


	4. The Power of Believing

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**Chapter Four – The Power of Believing**

"So, you killed your younger brother and your superior military officer? But yet you don't have the memories of killing them?" Sieza was sitting in a chair across from the older Elric.

"Yes," Ed said softly continuing to stare at his feet "When I woke up I was in a completely different room and when I went into the other room I saw their bodies mangled and crushed. A knife was in my pocket...covered in their blood."

Sieza was silent, that was when her full attention turned to the clock and a phone. "My mom will be coming home soon and as much as I really want to help you I can't."

"I don't deserve help. I murdered...slaughtered my own family. The only family I had left. I had already taken Alphonse's body from him when we tried to bring back our mother. Now I even managed to destroy what little of being alive he had left!"

"Edward, you talk as if you loved them more than anything. With this memory loss there has to be something missing. You were in the other room and they were in another. Secondly, you were unconscious and you're suffering from memory loss."

"What are you getting at?" he snapped; his eyes finally lifted from the ground.

Sieza stood and walked over to her phone, "I can contact someone you can really trust and I'll hide you until they come. I'm sure they can open those eyes of yours. Just tell me who I need to call and I'll help you reach them. After all, my mother is an operator. I've picked up a few of her skills."

Edward hesitated. That was when his heart began pounding against his chest. He stood from his chair, "I need...I need you to call Winry Rockbell. If she's not in Resembool then she's most likely at a Central Hotel."

**~ Central Hotel ~**

Winry raised her head off a pillow. Her eyes remaining empty. She had seen Riza at their funeral, and she knew where and what she was going to do.

Despite Mustang killing her parents during the Ishbalan War, deep inside she was also grieving for Roy. Hughes tried his hardest to push him to the top and now he's gone too.

"Winry, we best be going back to Resembool." Pinako called in the other room. She didn't respond back. Instead she rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling.

That was when the phone rang.

She slowly rose up, letting her droopy eyes fall on the rattling phone. Then she picked it up, and waited for a voice over a phone.

"Your Winry...I presume?" the voice was female.

"Y-yes." That was the first word she had spoken since the dreadful news.

"He is here...in Kalahari. I asked him who he trusts and he says it's you. You should board a train as soon as possible without anyone knowing. You both have to find the truth."

"Are...are you saying that Ed is-!" she was so shocked that she almost dropped the phone. Sweat was pouring down her skin.

"Yes. He's here. Kalahari is about two hours away."

After a brief pause the call ended. Winry shot around making sure that Pinako wasn't around. She slipped on her small skirt along with her white T-shirt and then her long and black shirt. Her hair immediately went up into a ponytail, grabbed her Auto-mail case and bag full of clothes and other things she needed.

After waiting a few minutes she looked into Pinako's room. She was sound asleep. "I'll be back soon Granny." And with those final words, she slipped out into the night and rushed to Kalahari.

**~ Kalahari Train Station ~**

She heard the screeching wheels of the train come to a halt. It was time...time to start the search.

Riza finished assembling her guns together and putting them in her pocket. They were supposed to head to the Kalahari Police Station and make that their base until Edward was either captured or dead.

Havoc walked beside her and saluted, "All ready, sir! The rest of the team is heading to the Station." He quickly put his hand to his side and stood in a stiff position. As if he were nervous.

"Havoc, you can relax. You don't have to be so stiff and upset. We're not in Central anymore." She sighed. Havoc relaxed, "I'm sorry...I've had my mind on a lot lately. I shouldn't let it interfere with work."

"You're human Havoc. I would be worried about you if you didn't show any emotions now and then. It just wouldn't be you. You've even seemed to calm down on looking for the perfect girl now…now that's what worries me."

"Then what about you Riza?" Havoc asked, his tone still serious. "I haven't seen you shed one tear. I've mainly been worried about you. You've been grieving. Not just about Mustang either! You know that you have to kill Edward Elric. And there's a chance that he didn't kill them...and you know that don't you?"

Riza was silent. Instead of being comforting to him like she was before turned her back on him, "I have cried Havoc. I only remain strong for you and everyone else's sake. No one wants a weak leader. He would say the same thing if he were here."

Hawkeye walked past him, stopped in the doorway, and slightly turned her head looking back at Havoc. "There is no other person that could've murdered him back there. I saw him running away. And I also found this." She reached into her pocket and showed off Edward's State Alchemist Pocket Watch. With one click she opened the small piece of paper. Havoc walked up to her and began reading...

_I can't take this any longer! They are both driving me crazy! It's only me or them. When we hunt him down, and right after we finish (the name is cut off from a tear in the paper) going...to kill them both. If I'm lucky, I can use them to get back my limbs. It's all so perfect...(The letter skips due to more of the paper being torn) The military will never catch me. I'll run away before they're even know...That stuck up Colonel is going to die...and so is that empty armor mistake I created._

Havoc's emotions weld up into a ball. Anger and hate. Sadness and Fear. "Edward...wrote this?" Hawkeye didn't answer. "I can understand him not liking Roy but...his own Brother? They were always together and even when they weren't they always thought about each other. All that fighting for their bodies and trying to find the stone? Was that all a lie?"

"That's what...I want to ask him Jean. Now do you think there's a chance that he didn't kill them?" Riza walked off the train, this was Kalahari and that meant that the search for Edward was about to begin.

* * *

**Alright guys the tension begins! I decided to post just in case I was able to this weekend. My cousin is coming in and I barely get to see her. Thanks again for everyone that reviewed, followed, etc. Please remember the more reviews I get the more frequently I will try to upload. If it slows down I will start working on my other stories.**

**Please be sure to let me know how I'm doing. The OC is kind of acting like a supporting character so...yeah~!**

**Anyway please Follow, Favorite, and review!**

**See you guys soon! :D **

**To Be Continued...**

**Kok0roxGuardian**


	5. The Search for the Truth Begins

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**Chapter Five – The Search for the Truth Begins**

Winry walked into the night, just arriving at Kalahari and leaving her Grandmother behind in Central. The town seemed like a ghost town; and it just because it wasn't night time either. Some of the buildings had rotten wood while others actually look pretty new. But what was really scary to her was the empty streets and the wanted posters of Edward.

She was holding her luggage tightly in her hand, wondering where she could go and where he might be. That was when she saw two figures standing in the middle of the dirt road. She knew that red hood from anywhere.

Her eyes watered, and instantly she dropped her luggage. It was him. Winry ran at him full speed and when they were face to face she stopped and stared at him. His eyes were half empty and there was a small grin on his face, he was probably trying to cover up the hurt inside him.

"Winry..." he said with a soft tone. She sobbed and hugged him tightly thinking that it was all a dream. He didn't kill anyone. She must be back in Resembool sleeping in her bed with some high fever or something. That was causing her to have the dream right?

"Please...tell me you didn't kill them! P-please!" she pleaded. Her joy quickly switched to sorrow. Edward's arms began to shake as he slowly reached to grab her. He hugged her back, his fake smile turned into a frown. "I don't know..." he replied.

After a long hug, Sieza introduced herself and told them that it would be best if they headed to her home. Besides, her mom was working a late shift and wouldn't be home for another few hours. They agreed to follow her back home.

As they sat down Sieza started up a conversation, they needed to help Edward try and recollect some of the memories he had lost before going on the mission.

"About five days ago, Mayor Grippson told everyone to be on alert and to move indoors after nightfall along with avoiding the forest at all times. There was an Alchemist that killed civilians on the loose. Does that ring a bell?"

Edward shook his head, "All I can remember is Mustang telling me were going on some mission. That memory fades and then the next thing I know I'm in front of their dead bodies."

"But like Sieza said," Winry cut in "You were in the other room and what about that bump?" Winry asked. She reached over while looking at the nasty bump on his head. "Where and how did you get that?"

"I don't know. I woke up with all these scratches and burses on my body. But really it was the bump that was bothering me. It might be the cause for my memory loss too." He explained. "But Sieza, you wouldn't happen to know that Alchemists name would you?"

"No one really told the public about him. But I heard his name is Fukai."

That was their first major clue. For the remaining hours that Sieza's mother was at work they talked to each other about why the body wasn't around when Edward woke up. There was a small possibility that this man was alive and running away from the military.

"Fukai, we need to find clues to see if he's alive. But I can't wander the streets looking for him. The military will arrest or even kill me if I'm even spotted."

Winry gasped, "And I just realized that the military is here! If they see me with you..." endless possibilities began filling her head causing her to panic.

"I think I have a solution. Come with me." Sieza headed to the back of her house, the two of them following her until they reached a small room. Sieza spun around and put something on Edward's face. At first he couldn't tell what is what because his eyes were close from flinching. But when he opened them he saw...the terrible things they called glasses.

"I have the perfect outfits for both of you. And since you're an Alchemist we can start with the hair dyeing."

Winry and Edward both looked at each other with nervous smiles.

**~ Kalahari: Police Station ~**

Hawkeye was greeted with a small amount of soldiers dressed in Central uniforms. There was a young man with dirty, short, spiky, blonde hair, circular glasses, and ocean blue eyes saluting her. "My name is Lieutenant Colonel Abyss Deep. Welcome to Kalahari Police Headquarters. My crew and I are going to aid you in your search for Edward Elric."

"I'm glad to hear that...you may relax."

Abyss relaxed, his eyes flaring with excitement. She couldn't figure out why he was looking at her like that.

"I've always admired your hard work and dedication, Colonel Hawkeye. My dream is to become a famous State Alchemist. I know Alchemy but I wasn't good enough to become a state Alchemist. Even if I were, I'd have the ranking equivalent to a Major."

Hawkeye glanced over at his crew. There was a young woman with scarlet hair and green eyes smirking at her, along with a guy with glasses that looked exactly like Havoc…the nerdy version. But behind him…there was a man with black hair and black eyes. His skin was slightly pale. He looked like Mustang at first glance, and it made Riza's heart pound.

He walked up to her and saluted, "Second Lieutenant Fang Muston. It will be an honor to follow your orders, sir." Hawkeye slowly nodded and looked away. "You and your crew can rest upstairs. There are beds and..." he trailed off.

"Thank you Second Lieutenant." Hawkeye walked past them, not taking the chance of getting caught in another conversation. Abyss watched her go up stairs and looked at everyone else.

"Who exactly is her team? Have they all come from Central?" Ekken, was the woman with scarlet hair. She always seemed to speak out of line due to her curious personality.

Abyss turned to her and dismissed the other soldiers to get back to work. They did so immediately. "The Strong Arm Alchemist, Alex Armstrong, is among them. There is also Warrant Officer Falman, Second Lieutenants Havoc and Breda, and Master Sergeant Fuery. I heard that two others were supposed to come with them but couldn't. I think one of them was named Ross."

After explaining Abyss turned his back on his crew and looked at the stairs. "Colonel Hawkeye looks like a strong woman. She will be very interesting to work with. But let's just make sure that we capture or kill Edward Elric first."

"Sir!" the others saluted him and continued to their duties. Abyss just smirked and walked into his office to finish his work for the day.

Back upstairs, the Colonel was sitting at her desk, looking out at the small town of Kalahari. The others were in their rooms. Her mind was just too full of thoughts to rest. To think...that Roy was killed in a small place like this was heart wrenching.

"(I wanted to be by your side...but you insisted that I stayed...w-why?)" that was when the memory she last saw him alive played in her mind like a broken record player.

"_C-Colonel"_

"_Lieutenant," Mustang sighed with a smile even though Hawkeye's was the exact opposite. "I'm going with Fullmetal and Alphonse. Four people coming along might be a crowd. I'm sure I'll be back before tomorrow."_

_He began walking towards the door, turning to look back at her red face. She was worried, he could tell._

_After a small sigh he turned and disappeared._

"ROY!"

Riza gasped for air. Sweat was pouring down her face like rain. But she quickly covered her face with her sleeve and wiped away the tears and sweat.

"R-Roy...you...idiot..."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay. My computer is acting wonky and we had a week off of school because of snow. And even though I was off I couldn't leave to post at my Grandmother's house! -.-" I can't really look right now to see who favorite and reviewed, but to those who did thank you very much and I will thank you all individually soon.**

**If you want more you HAVE to review! No more exceptions. :P**

**Anyways, thanks for continuing to follow the adventures of our depressed and innocent Edward~! See you soon!**

**To Be Continued...**

**Kok0roxGuardian**


	6. The True Feeling of Being Scared

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**Chapter Six – The True Feeling of Being Scared**

Edward stared back at the boy in front of him. Just the sight of him made his eyes water and itch, and his hair tingle and even his skin sweat. That boy was him looking at himself in the mirror. Edward's golden eyes were now hidden behind green contacts and glasses. His blond hair looked like it had mud slung on it, because now it was a light brown. His attire had also been altered completely unlike Winry's. He looked like a paper boy, which made him feel poor and dirty. But...it was a nice outfit.

"Hey," Winry came into the room with a light smile on her face "You look great."

Edward simply rolled his eyes and look away, however, when she wasn't looking he was. Her hair was a dirty brown as well, along with her eyes being green. She had on her normal black collar shirt with her white t-shirt hiding under it. Her short skirt was enough to make Ed blush.

Sieza followed her in and clapped her hands, "My work here is done! I feel like I've mastered the art of true disguise!" After Ed and Winry rolled their eyes Sieza smirked and began explaining the plan. "So you two are going to go to the forest? Well then you should at least be back before dawn. Since you two don't look like a pair of criminals my mom should allow you to stay with us for a while. Remember, if you're caught just say you're my cousins who's come to sight see. If they ask what you're doing out so late say you lost her ring that your deceased mother gave you~!"

"Boy you sure are good at making up stories..." Winry said with a sigh.

"It's my specialty!" she bragged "I'm a young author."

Ed smiled a bit and signaled Winry that it was time to go. She nodded and grabbed her bag, of course it only had a spare Auto-mail arm and leg inside. She also placed her trusty wrench inside her pocket.

Sieza guided them outside, "You both need to be careful. If anything happens come running back into town. Alright?"

"Ok, thanks Sieza for everything. You really saved my ass." Ed blushed with a small smile.

"Ah...it's no problem. Remember, for now this is your home too. Just be careful..." Sieza closed the door and Winry and Edward began walking to the forest.

Once they reached the edge of the forest Edward stopped and looked around. It was incredibly dark, and with one little step you could fall and break every bone in your body.

The memory of waking up there made him quiver. That was when something popped inside his mind. He watched Winry stop walking and look back at him, "Ed? Are you alright?" she asked.

Edward muttered as he looked down, "Winry..."

"Huh?" she replied.

"What was it like...being at their funerals?"

She stopped completely and turned around. Her face went pale and her blood ran cold. She honestly didn't know what to say.

"They're blaming me...huh? And Riza...she probably wants to see me dead. I murdered the man she loved. Even though those two didn't act like they loved each other, they did. I could see it in that bastard's eyes. He wanted her more than being Furher.

"I had heard from Miss Hughes that Riza was promoted Colonel. She was denying it that you killed them both. She knew that even though you hated Mustang at times that you would never kill him. All I know now is that they were coming here to find you and investigate." Winry explained.

Edward held back tears, "Listen," he paused looking up at her worried face "If anything happens to me...just know that I deserved it. And-."

"SHUT UP!"

Edward gasped. Tears were streaming down her face. That was when she came up to him and stared him down, "Nothing is going to happen to you! And...God forbid if anything does happen then we'll die together!"

Edward's shocked expression changed into a hurtful smile, "Thank you...Winry...you've always been there for me and Al both."

She nodded and turned back around, acting as if she were the leader "Now come on, we have to hurry before dawn."

"Right."

Both of them quickly ran into the forest where they then found themselves standing in front of the old abandoned house..._The Nightmare House_.

**~ The Nightmare House ~**

Edward opened the door, and as soon as he did both he and Winry were smacked in the face with the smell of rotting flesh and blood. It was enough to make Winry almost vomit.

"T-that smell!" she covered her face. Edward immediately turned on his flashlight and shinned it around. It was the place the place he had woken up from.

"Ok, this is where I woke up. Why don't we start looking for clues here."

They both began looking; Winry was able to find signs of a struggle. "Make sure you don't touch anything Ed." She warned.

"Alright." He replied. He suddenly felt his foot slip. The hard sound of the wooden floor breaking filled his ears. Winry shot around and ran towards him knowing that he was going to fall but it was too late. The floor broke and the darkness below swallowed them.

It wasn't a large fall but it was enough to shock them both.

"Winry! Are you alright?" he turned back on his flashlight and shinned it on her. She rubbed her bottom and nodded, still groaning softly. "Did...did we fall into a basement?"

"It looks that way. AH! W-what is this?" Edward yelped shinning his light all around the room. There were strange markings all over the wall. And weird enough there was a lamp sitting on a desk. Winry reached over and turned it on revealing the entire room. It was a study.

"Hey Edward," Winry reached over and handed him a piece of paper. "Look at this."

He let his eyes scan the words. It was very short but it was defiantly a clue.

_Took them there. If you find this go there._

"What does this mean?" he questioned. Winry looked over his shoulder and shrugged. He quickly put it in his pocket and continued looking around. That was when their attention turned to a shelf of books and surprisingly, they were Alchemy books!

"Did an Alchemist live here? Why did we come here? Wait...could this be...Fukai's house?!"

Winry gasped, "That means that you three were fighting him in his own house!"

That was when something hit Edward in his mind. He held his head and yelped from the pain as a memory played in his mind.

"_Leave them alone you bastard!" he screamed._

_The shadowy figure smiled, "I don't think so you little piece of trash. You Alchemists need to die!"_

_Blam! The pain in his head grew strong and he fell to the ground. The pain in his side appeared and his skin sizzled from unseen burns._

"_Fullmet-AHHHK"_

"_NO! Get away from (crack) AHH! Broth-!"_

Edward dropped to his knees; the last sound was a dreadful laugh playing in his ears.

"Edward! Answer me! What's wrong?" Winry frantically shook him with tears in her eyes. He gasped and held his chest. "Winry...I remembered something...it was him! He killed them!" he broke into a sob and began to quiver violently. Above them Winry could see a hint of daylight.

"Edward, we need to leave...the military will be here soon." Winry panicked.

He nodded and clapped his hands building them a stair case to get out. After making it back up he broke it down and covered up the hole. They had received all the information they needed and wouldn't be coming back. It was just too dangerous.

Both Winry and Edward looked around one last time before running away from Fukai's house and back into town. What they didn't know was that things were about to change for the both of them...and not in a good way.

* * *

**Sorry guys it's been a very stressful week for me! I'm a section editor of my newspaper and I had to edit it! DX I also had another AP essay to work on~! I'm so glad that I'm a junior! Only 1 and a half more years until college…wait…that's even more stressful! (Goes into a corner and cries…) Anyway, wow! I gotta lot of favorites guys! Thank you all so much~! And now as I promised I will thank everyone. If your name doesn't show up that means that it wouldn't let me type your name! So tell me and I'll try again if I miss you!**

**Thank you gameright11,AllINoIsImNotAwesome (Your incredibly awesome for reviewing), author12306 (Thank you for the reviews! I'll defiantly follow your advice! You really helped me a lot. :D), and thepandahero98 (Your my hero for reviewing! XD) for the amazing reviews! I take all the reviews I can get to heart. So thanks so much!**

**Thank you Sam the Killing Alchemist, emmella, Caroline999, Clubkey75, and ejpreson19, alyssaaa225 for the follows and favorites~! If I missed anyone I'm really sorry and just message me so I can thank you! There are a lot of you to thank!**

**Anyway if you want more please drop me a review and fav…! I would really appreciate it! Also, what do you think is going to happen next? Just a heads up a major major twist is about to happen so get excited…or nervous! XD Thanks guys and I'll try to be back over the weekend!**

**To Be Continued…**

**Kok0roxGuardian**


	7. Suspicions

**Beyond the Nightmare of Life**

**Chapter Seven – Suspicions**

Sieza rubbed her eyes as she tried to come back to reality from her pleasant dreams. The night before, Winry and Edward had returned with interesting news. They had found a secret study under Fukai's house. This could defiantly lead to his arrest somehow, but only if the two managed to convince the government of Elric's innocence.

She climbed out of her bed and exited her room. Before she hit her stairs, she heard her mother speaking. No doubt she had gotten off at work late but was still awake. It was after her mother stopped talking that she heard another voice…a man's voice. Sieza's heart skipped a beat and quickly dashed down stairs, drawing both the attention of her mother and a mysterious man in a blue military uniform.

Sieza gulped, "M-mother? What are you doing? W-who is he?!" she stuttered.

Sieza's mother looked like Sieza. The only difference was her glasses and age wrinkles on her skin. "Oh this is Fang Muston. I met him while I was walking home. I was so scared walking with the evil Alchemist walking around…but he helped me get home."

Sieza glared at him but Fang just smiled softly, "Hello, Sieza I presume?"

"Yes, now leave…"

"Sieza! I've raised you better! Go and prepare some tea for our guest. I'll be in there to help you. Oh but first you should wake up your guests and tell them breakfast will be ready soon."

Sieza nodded. Her eyes didn't dare leave Fang's. His sharp black eyes were staring down her _innocent night_ ones. But she remained firm. Fang looked away and continued his conversation with her mother. That was when she made a break for it and dashed into Edward's room.

"Ed!" The door slammed against the wall and jerked Edward awake. In the other room next door, Winry also shot out of bed. She opened the door and looked at Sieza, but she tugged on her shirt and pulled her into the room. She then looked out the door one more time to make sure that Fang or her mother was there and closed the door.

"Sieza? What the hell is wrong with you?" Ed snapped. She covered her mouth, which enraged him even more.

"SHHH! They'll hear us!" she cried.

"Who'll hear us?" Winry questioned.

"The military officer downstairs…I woke up and heard my mother talking to him. I…I think he could possibly be finding us out!"

"But how when we just got here? I don't think that's possible!" Winry argued. Edward simply sighed and rolled his eyes in response to Sieza's uneasiness. Wasn't he supposed to be the one who was nervous and about to wet their pants?

She quickly let go of Edward, all three of them tensed when Sieza's mother called her down. "You two don't come downstairs unless you absolutely have to! Alright?"

Edward and Winry exchanged looks and then nodded at her. Sieza sighed and opened back the door. Taking one last look at the two, she hustled back down to tend to her mother's demands.

"(Great…this has turned out to be a complete nightmare…)"

**~ Kalahari Police Station ~**

"MUSTON! Where is that idiot?!" Ekken yelled. She dashed around every corner looking for him until she slammed into Abyss. He sighed and helped her off the floor, even though she looked fearfully enraged.

"Lieutenant? Why are you in such a big rush? Has something happened to one of the officers?"

"Second Lieutenant Muston is missing. I saw him leave with this woman and then that was the last time I saw him."

Abyss laughed, but Ekken glared at him. Even though he was her superior officer they were actually close friends. So usually there was no formality between the two. "No doubt he's off picking and checking out more women. That scoundrel!" he teased.

Ekken huffed, "So how are the people from Central doing? Why does that Colonel Hawkeye seem so sad?"

"Because, it's very easy to see that she is grieving from her loss. I heard from lingering rumors that they loved each other, her and the Flame Alchemist."

Ekken gasped, "That's rather...interesting. But still...if you're going to be a Colonel you should show no emotion...!"

Ekken stop talking. You sounded like a complete moron just not." He teased. Ekken face turned red, "Excuse me? I was just saying that Colonels should be-..."

Suddenly, the two were disrupted when they heard Colonel Hawkeye approached them. "Sir!" they both quickly saluted her but she gave them a signal allowing them to be at ease. "We should start investigating the crime scene today. I will be taking Major Armstrong and Second Lieutenant Havoc with me. Will you two be joining us?" she questioned with a very monotone voice.

"There is no need to ask Colonel. I will gather a few soldiers along with Ekken, Muston, and myself and we will join you. I will also have the others begin the search for the Fullmetal Alchemist.

She nodded and then continued to walk down the hallway, not daring to show the others her hidden tears. She sucked it up quickly and put on a serious face. But as she did, another flashback played in her mind.

"_Colonel?" she stepped quietly into his office, noticing that he had his back turned towards her._

"_Yes, what is it Lieutenant?" she saw him wipe his face quickly but not turn around._

_She sighed knowing that even if she asked of his wellbeing he would still say that he was fine. He was just given the news that his best friend had been murdered._

"_I was just checking on you...sir."_

Looking back on it she wished that she had rushed over and hugged him tightly. She should have never let go. Never! But now it was too late...

Hawkeye walked back into her temporary office and prepared for the investigation and hunt for Edward.

**~ Kalahari: Sieza's House Noon ~**

Edward put his hear against the floor to listen to the commotion downstairs. They could here Sieza's mother giggling along with a man chatting away like he had nothing better to do. He had at least been down there for two hours. Winry just sat on her bed reading an Auto-mail book she had brought with her. He rose off the floor, then quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed the slip of paper he had found in the house.

"Took them there. If you find this go there."

Winry glanced down at him, "What do you think it means?" she asked.

Ed shrugged and rolled over on his stomach. That was when the hunger set in. "Damn it...that old man needs to hurry up. I'm starving."

It wasn't before too long that Sieza came into the room with her head hanging low. "My mom has called us all down for lunch..."

Winry and Ed had once again exchanged nervous looks, "Do we really have to...go down there this time?" Ed asked.

Sieza nodded as she slowly lifted her pale face.

Upon going downstairs, Ed stopped when he saw this man. He looked like Mustang's twin or reincarnation. The man looked at Edward, his eyes transforming from soft to sharp.

"Hello, my name is Second Lieutenant Fang Muston? And who are you two?"

* * *

**Sorry I've been slacking. I just lost my 13-year-old border collie to cancer. I've been grieving a lot but I feel somewhat better. On top of that I learned that I must also have throat surgery this spring break. I would share the details but it's too nasty. So yes, excuse my language but this week has been a living hell. On a good note I do have internet back now but my computer still has a broken screen. Thank you for everyone that reviewed and stuff. If you want more I expect reviewing and stuff...you know equivalent exchange stuff...**

**A huge thanks to author12306 for the reviews~!**

**Author12306: Thanks. :D I always try to watch the show and see what they would say in this type of situation. Usually their really depressed in my stories but I let them loosen up every once and a while.**

**For everyone else that did something I kinda lost track of who did what...so I'll try to thank you all again next chapter! Your opinion matters so please review~! :3 Now if you'll excuse me...I have a snow day and ice storm to deal with... XD oh and playing Bravely Default!**

**To Be Continued...**

**Kok0roxGuardian **


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